Ally McBeal cadence: Oooh — we read Latin, we see the music, we split the sentence into neat circles, we make the idea glow. Ready? Let’s dance through six connected pieces.
Quick plain‑English translation (one breath)
Because I see that I must now discuss the proper limits of both cities, earthly and heavenly, first the arguments of mortals must be set out — the ones by which they tried to make happiness for themselves in the unhappiness of this life — so that it may be made clear, not only by divine authority but also by reason (the sort we can use because of unbelievers), how our hope that comes from their empty things differs from what God has given. The thing itself — true beatitude which he will give — should be made plain.
How we will analyze (MCT four levels, t‑model circles)
- Level 1 – Parts of speech: find the nouns, verbs, adjectives, prepositions.
- Level 2 – Parts of sentence: find the subject and the predicate (remember: sentences are binary).
- Level 3 – Phrases: group prepositional phrases, appositives, infinitive phrases, ablative absolutes.
- Level 4 – Clauses: find main clause and subordinate clauses (relative, indirect question, purpose/result, ablative absolute, etc.).
We show the important groups in simple circles. The left side is the subject circle; the right side is the predicate circle. Smaller circles inside show phrases or clauses that belong together.
1) Quoniam de civitatis utriusque, terrenae scilicet et caelestis, debitis finibus, deinceps mihi video disputandum
Level 1 (words): Quoniam (because), de + noun phrase (about), deinceps (henceforth), mihi (for me), video (I see), disputandum (that it must be discussed / a discussion to be had).
Level 2 (subject & predicate): Subject = (ego) (understood I). Predicate = video with the complement disputandum (a verbal noun/gerundive idea: "that there should be discussion"). "Quoniam" links the whole idea as a reason.
○ Subject: (ego) ○ | ○ Predicate: deinceps mihi video disputandum ○
Level 3 (phrases): "de civitatis utriusque... finibus" is a prepositional phrase naming the topic; "terrenae... caelestis" is an apposition (it explains the two cities). "mihi" marks the person responsible (dative).
Level 4 (clause type): Main clause with causal subordinating word Quoniam introducing reason.
2) prius exponenda sunt quantum operis huius terminandi ratio patitur, argumenta mortalium
Level 1: prius (first), exponenda sunt (must be explained), quantum ... patitur (how much ... allows), argumenta mortalium (arguments of mortals).
Level 2: Subject = argumenta mortalium. Predicate = prius exponenda sunt (they must first be explained).
○ Subject: argumenta mortalium ○ | ○ Predicate: prius exponenda sunt ○
Level 3: "quantum ... patitur" is an indirect question (tells the extent to which the plan allows finishing the work). "prius" is an adverb.
Level 4: The whole is a declarative main clause whose predicate takes an indirect question as a complement.
3) quibus sibi ipsi beatitudinem facere in huius vitae infelicitate moliti sunt
Quick gloss: "by which" (quibus) — referring back to the argumenta mortalium — "they endeavored to make happiness for themselves in the unhappiness of this life."
Level 2: This is a relative clause modifying argumenta mortalium.
○ Subject (understood): they (homines) ○ | ○ Predicate: moliti sunt ○
Level 3: "sibi ipsi beatitudinem facere" is an infinitive phrase showing what they strove to do; "in huius vitae infelicitate" is a prepositional phrase setting location/circumstance.
Level 4: Relative clause (quibus) with deponent verb moliti sunt.
4) ut ab eorum rebus vanis spes nostra quid differat quam deus nobis dedit
Short gloss: "so that it may be shown how our hope from their vain things differs from what God gave us." This clause is connected to the idea that things should be made clear.
○ Subject: spes nostra ○ | ○ Predicate: quid differat (how it differs) ○
Level 4: This is a purpose/result/indirect question clause introduced by ut (it states what must be shown): it asks "how (quid) our hope differs."
5) res ipsa, hoc est vera beatitudo, quam dabit
Level 1: "res ipsa" (the thing itself), apposition "hoc est vera beatitudo" (that is true beatitude), relative clause "quam dabit" (which he will give).
○ Subject nucleus: res ipsa ○
Function: This full noun phrase names the thing that must be made clear (it will be the subject for the final verb).
6) non tantum auctoritate divina, sed adhibita etiam ratione qualem propter infideles possumus adhibere, clarescat
Plain gloss: "Let the thing itself (true beatitude which he will give) be made clear, not only by divine authority, but also by reason applied — the kind we can use on account of unbelievers."
○ Subject: res ipsa, hoc est vera beatitudo, quam dabit ○ | ○ Predicate: clarescat ○
Level 3: "adhibita ratione" is an ablative absolute (a little package: "reason being applied"). "qualem ... possumus adhibere" is a relative clause telling what kind of reason.
Level 4: clarescat is the main verb that gathers up the paragraph: "may the thing be made clear" — everything before sets up what must be made clear and how (divine authority + human reason).
Final tidy summary — the sentence architecture
1) Big frame: Quoniam clause gives the reason. 2) The speaker says: prius exponenda sunt argumenta mortalium (first, mortal arguments must be explained). 3) A relative clause (quibus...) explains what those arguments are (by which they tried to make happiness). 4) A clause (ut ... quid differat ...) says what we must show about hope vs. God’s gift. 5) A noun phrase names the thing to be made clear (res ipsa = true beatitude). 6) The main closing verb (clarescat) says how that thing should be made clear: not only by divine authority but also by the kind of reason we can use.
Ally McBeal ending note (sing‑song): Snap! The circles show the idea. Left side = who/what; right side = what is said. Nest the small circles, sing the clause, make the sentence shine. You did it — Latin looks tidy now.
If you want, I can draw an actual diagram (SVG or simple image) of these t‑model circles so you can see them visually instead of in text. Want that?